"This
was my first Folk Festival and I will be back next summer. I
especially enjoyed the laid back down-home atmosphere. From
the Saturday night jam to hanging out with Nickel Creek and
the Flecktones in the hot springs Sunday night, the mellow vibe
was flowing. Nice work." John W., Crested Butte, CO
Anne and Pete Sibley - Anne and Pete love to get right to the heart of their audience. For the husband and wife duo (based in Jackson, Wyoming) it is about the vocals, the words and the harmonies. Accompanied on guitar and banjo theirs is a traditional yet original sound. They were first inspired by duet performers like Tim & Mollie O’Brien, and Gillian Welch & David Rawlins and began performing at a local Hootenanny. Since that time, Anne writes many of their songs and Pete’s melodic clawhammer banjo has been added to their sound. But they still cherish the simple sound of two voices. Since 2003 they've been performing a blend of original folk, bluegrass, old-timey and traditional songs.
The Belleville Outfit - With a tight, seamless, acoustic sound that's uniquely theirs — a mix of gypsy swing, big band jazz and cross-genre Americana music, original songs and some clever covers — the startling six-piece Belleville Outfit of Austin belies the tender age of its members and its vast experience garnered swiftly after its union around Merlefest 2007 in Wilkesboro, N.C. After that fortuitous performance, they each decided to give the band their all. Its name (“belle ville” means beautiful town in French) honors New Orleans and the dramatic influence Hurricane Katrina had on the city and the Loyola trio. And “Belleville” is also the name of a Django Reinhardt song, which exemplifies a great portion of the band’s sound.
In the six months after their formation, the band played for more than 10,000 people at shows all the way from Texas to Tennessee, from Colorado to New York, and sold out shows up and down the East Coast and through Texas.
Crooked Still - Rock energy coexists with old-time mountain soul. Spooky backwoods melodies combine with hip hard-hitting beats. Raw, searing blues riffs intermingle with high heavenly vocals. Sound good? Here's the catch:
No electricity. No drums.
Meet Crooked Still, the hot young alternative bluegrass group on a mission to bend the boundaries of traditional music. The unlikely combination of banjo, cello, and double-bass drives this low lonesome band, whose captivating vocals and high-wire solos have enraptured audiences all over North America and Ireland since 2001.
Earl Scruggs– Earl Scruggs is a musician noted for perfecting and popularizing a 3-finger banjo style (now called Scruggs style) that is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music. Although other musicians played in 3-finger style before him, Scruggs built on earlier styles to develop a truly new and readily identifiable style, involving unprecedented smoothness, syncopation, and uninterrupted flow – a style which readily inspired imitation by newer generations of banjo pickers.
After more than 60 years of playing, Mr. Scruggs continues to be an innovator, keeping his chops fresh by playing and recording with a variety of musicians including Bruce Hornsby, Elton John, and Sting. He was recently recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in February 2008 and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003. His trademark song, “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” won a Grammy Award (with then partner Lester Flatt) in 1969 and again in 2002 for a newer recording featuring other players including Steve Martin, Vince Gill and Marty Stuart.
Mr. Scruggs’ appearance at the Four Corners Folk Festival represents just one of a handful of dates he will play in 2008 and we are truly honored to have him play on our stage.
The Infamous Stringdusters - The Infamous Stringdusters represent a new generation of young bluegrass musicians. With Andy Hall on Resonator Guitar, Travis Book on bass, Chris Pandolfi on banjo, Jesse Cobb on mandolin, Jeremy Garrett on fiddle and Andy Falco on guitar, the band pulls together skill and experience well beyond their years. They boast a combined resume that includes collaborations with artists like Dolly Parton, Leftover Salmon, Earl Scruggs, Bering Strait, Ronnie Bowman and Levon Helm. Their Sugar Hill debut, Fork In The Road, was one of the most highly acclaimed bluegrass releases of 2007. It has been praised by fans of traditional bluegrass and newgrass alike, proving that the young Nashville-based band offers something for everyone. The disc features a diverse selection from the Stringdusters’ vast repertoire, with hard driving original instrumentals like “40 West” along with more contemporary arrangements like “Tragic Life”… The band has performed at some of the country’s biggest acoustic music festivals as well as large concert halls, intimate clubs, and everything in between.
Ollabelle – A multi-talented, democratic collective whose participants share vocal and songwriting duties, Ollabelle gains strength from its members' shared sense of mission, as well as their diverse musical and personal backgrounds. Although the group initially began as a casual sideline to the musicians' individual projects, it quickly evolved into a full-time creative entity with an unmistakable life of its own.
All five Ollabelle members had come from varied backgrounds and geographical locations to make music in New York City, and had crossed paths or worked together in various combinations. Woodstock-bred Amy Helm came had a long history singing in blues combos. Byron Isaacs had worked as bassist with a variety of artists while pursuing his own songwriting efforts. Tony Leone had an extensive resume as a jazz drummer. Fiona McBain had moved to New York from Sydney, Australia and had begun to win attention as a solo singer/songwriter. Canadian-born Glenn Patscha had long been active in the New Orleans music scene.
Although all five were pursuing individual projects at the time, their musical affinity evolved into a solid band chemistry, and the group quickly gained a local reputation for its exuberant live sets. They recorded their debut album on spec at a local studio, and the project won the attention of renowned artist/producer T Bone Burnett, who was impressed enough to release Ollabelle on his Sony-distributed DMZ label. Their second release, Riverside Battle Songs, is described by the band as, “a collection of songs of hard times, loss, compassion and hope." The albums draws from a deep well of gospel, blues, bluegrass, and country influences to create timelessly resonant music that honors the integrity of its sources while remaining effortlessly contemporary.
